


Order and Chaos

by OnyxBird



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Death of unnamed background character, Gen, POV Grant Ward, Season 1, Snipers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-13
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-20 15:48:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30007224
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OnyxBird/pseuds/OnyxBird
Summary: Grant Ward likes his missions neat, orderly, and without unforeseen complications. That's why he works alone—other people get sloppy and complicate things. And this new team? Pure chaos.A tale of two missions.
Kudos: 6





	1. Order

Target acquired.

Distance to target: 2,250 meters; elevation drop: 7 meters; crosswind: NNE, ~3 m/s.

Direct line-of-sight through a window. Window appears to be a single pane of ordinary glass.

Target appears to be alone. No other people visible from this position; directional microphone picks up no sounds not consistent with target's own actions; consistent with intel provided during mission briefing.

Target is speaking to someone on the phone. Will not engage until call is ended, unless there is imminent risk of losing kill shot or being interrupted by a witness on site.

Recording audio of target's side of conversation for submission with mission report. Target is announcing intent to be out-of-contact due to weekend at cabin. This is good; will likely delay discovery of target's death.

Call appears to be ending.

*gunshot*

Target eliminated. Mission successful.

~

Grant Ward quickly and neatly packed his familiar sniper rifle into its case and slipped away as silently as he had come. Behind him, a target whose name he would never know lay dead, never knowing how close he had come to Hydra's secrets.


	2. Chaos

Target acquired.

Distance to target: 15 meters; elevation drop: 5.5 meters; no wind.

Direct line-of-sight to target with no obstacles. For now. Dammit. Agents getting dangerously close. Good thing the target is tall.

Target is edgy. Keeps moving around. It'll be difficult to ensure a fatal head shot if they keep pushing him.

This mission is a mess.

Agents in the blast range. Civilians in the blast range. Lots of civilians. Lots of...witnesses. Inadequate mission control. No one listening to reason.

Why is he getting so _close_? No concept of risk management.

That glow doesn't look good. Orders were “not unless you have to,” but...at this rate, there will be no commanding officer soon.

It's not right to use an unfamiliar rifle for a sniper job. Too dangerous. Don't know if the aim is biased. Don't know how sensitive the trigger is. Don't know how much kick to expect. Don't know if this experimental _thing_ won't blow up in your face. Has _anyone_ fired it yet? Have they ever even built a firearm before?

This mission is a disaster.

*gunshot*

…Well, the gun didn't explode.

…Neither did the target.

Not even his head. Perfect shot. Blue instead of red.

Target...neutralized? Mission unexpectedly successful.

This mission was a mess from start to finish. But no one died. That's...I could get used to that.


End file.
